Danny's Favorite Cookies
by dee87
Summary: "Two seconds. That's all it took for the siblings to be separated..." Set in L.A. during the events of The Host. OC. R&R. The summary sucks. Just read it please :D
1. Danny's Favorite Cookies

A/N: Just a crazy one-shot.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host. Stephenie Meyer has that privilege :p I only own my imagination :D

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><p><em>What if?<em>

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><p>It was a cold, lonely night as Jodie trudged through the dark, empty alley. Years ago, she might have been scared, but the once crime-infested streets were now clean and safe. Too clean and too safe for her taste. The eerily beautiful graffiti art had been whitewashed and the crime rate was down to less that 0.2%. Ironically, the danger of living in East Los Angeles that she used to hate, was now the danger she craved. As crazy as it sounded, in that danger, she would find safety. Because crime meant humans, and Jodie would rather be killed by a human than taken away to be host.<p>

It started so subtly, just an insignificant neighbor here and there. They would disappear for a few days, and then come back like a totally different person. Little did she know, they were a totally different person. It started becoming more frequent. Two or three friends would disappear in a single day. It got worse. At school, friends would go to the restroom and come back the next week. For a while, she had been too scared to even step outside her dorm room. When her parents died, she was forced to leave school, find a job, and support her family. All her hard work in medical school and all the dreams of becoming a psychiatrist, were gone. Just like that, her career went out the door. She had been able to get her bachelor's degree, but it was useless. She went home to find her aunt the same as when she left. She was so relieved, she almost enjoyed being treated like trash by her. Then she disappeared too.

When her aunt came back, Jodie escaped with her thirteen year-old sister and her seven year-old brother to her boyfriend's house. They hid there for a few months before he too was sucked up by the Earth. They didn't wait for him to come back. Jodie knew they had taken him and molded him into one of their own. She took the kids and ran. She didn't know where she was going; she didn't know how she would get there. All she knew was that the last person she could count on was no longer there. Matt was gone. In his place was a creepy, friendly, untrustworthy alien whose race was taking over her home. All she had left was Danny and Kat.

But Danny and Kat were currently lost.

Two seconds. That's all it took for the siblings to be separated. If Jodie hadn't stayed two seconds longer to grab Danny's favorite cookies, she wouldn't have dropped a can of chili. If she hadn't dropped the can of chili, the dog wouldn't have barked. If the dog hadn't barked, the neighbor wouldn't have suspected. If the neighbor hadn't suspected, he wouldn't have called the Seeker. If the Seeker hadn't come, she wouldn't have had to run the opposite direction of their hideout. If she hadn't run the wrong direction, she never would have encountered the train. If she hadn't encountered the train, she might have been able to get back to the hideout in less than one hour. If she had been able to get back to the hideout in that time, she would have found her siblings safe and sound. If she hadn't stopped two seconds, she would have Danny and Kat.

But she did stop two seconds, and she did drop the can. The dog did bark, and the neighbor suspected. The Seeker came, and Jodie ran the wrong direction. She encountered the train, she wasn't able to get back in an hour, and she didn't find her only family left. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't stopped for those two precious, life-changing seconds. Jodie wasn't sure that if she could go back in time, she would not stop for the cookies. Because maybe she would trigger a butterfly effect worse than this domino effect.

Now, there was nothing to do but sulk in the shadows of the safe alley, lament over her failure, and try to plan out her next move. All while eating Danny's favorite cookies.

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><p>AN: review? Please? i might consider continuing the story if i get enough reviews...

:Dee


	2. I Want Food!

**A/N: I didn't think I would actually be continuing the story. I think I will continue it. Thanks MorganvilleRocks this chapter is for you!**

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><p>Danny walked on the very edge of the sidewalk, giggling a little every time he lost his balance and stumbled off. Katherine walked a few feet from him, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance. On first glance, they seemed like care-free, happy kids.<p>

They had been walking around aimlessly for almost two days. Their tiny supply of food had vanished this morning.

"Kat... I'm hungry..." Danny whined.

"I know, kid... I am too..." Katherine replied miserably.

Danny's stomach growled loudly.

"I'm really, really hungry..." He said.

"I know!" Katherine yelled. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want food!" Danny yelled back.

"I don't have food!" Katherine shouted.

Danny's eyes teared up and he started to cry. The poor kid just wanted food. But what was Katherine supposed to do?

"I want Jodie..." Danny complained.

"Jodie is gone. Get over it." She rolled her eyes.

"She was much nicer than you." He mumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Yes, she was. Your point?"

"I want her back."

"She's not coming back!"

"We should have waited for her like I told you!"

"She was the one who told us to run if she didn't make it back in an hour! For all we know, she's of them now! So yes, she was nicer than me. And if she was caught, she's way nicer than I ever will be!"

"Stop yelling Kat."

"Why!"

Danny just pointed behind her. She froze in place and very slowly, turned her head around. Standing just a few feet away, was a petite woman in her mid-30's. Her stick straight, black hair framed her round face in a creepy way. But it wasn't her hair or her size of her black clothing that terrified the siblings. It was her green eyes that bore into Katherine's. They had a silver ring around them.

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><p><strong>AN: it's short, I know. I should really be updating my other stories, but I had this in my head. Review!**

**:Dee**


	3. Hello Children

**I just realized i should put a disclaimer...**

**I do not in any way own The Host.**

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><p>The lady looks at the siblings with a curious expression.<p>

"Hello children," she says with a smile.

Katherine stands in front of Daniel in a slightly defensive position, shielding him. Daniel is terrified, but he tries his hardest not to let it show. He pokes his head around Kat's waist to glare at the lady. When they don't say anything, the lady speaks again.

"I won't hurt you," she smiles. "Seriously, I won't."

Katherine doesn't budge.

The lady sighs, turns around and whistles.

Four people come out. Two are hosts and two are human.

The kids are stunned. They haven't seen humans in a very long time.

"See? I'm not hurting them." She put a hand on the nearest human- a young teenage boy. "I just want to help," she insisted.

Daniel slips from Katherine's grasp and goes around to the Soul. Before Kat can catch him, he hugs the other boy. It breaks Kat's heart to watch her little brother clinging onto a stranger and breaking down in tears.

The boy hugged him back and patted his back in a comforting way. Kat was grateful. She walked up to the Soul and said, "Katherine." She extended her hand for a handshake. The Soul shook it and said, "Elise."

Elise then introduced the others. The other Soul is a tall, middle aged man with a receding hairline, more pounds than necessary, and a friendly smile. His name is Bird Songs of The Night, but they call him Bird. The boy is a young teenager around Kat's age. He's a tall ginger-boy with orangey-red hair and piercing emerald eyes. The next human is a young girl with cherry red hair and eyes the exact color of grass. The two humans are siblings named Andrew and Annabelle. After introductions, they went back to the Soul's house, who gave them food and clean clothes and a bed to sleep in.

Kat was still very suspicious, so she conjured up a plan.

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><p><strong>review please?<strong>

**:Dee**


	4. A Wonderful, Little Surprise

**Enjoy! :D**

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><p>As the sun drifted through the window and illuminated the room, Danny woke up to the sounds of Katherine's grunts and mumbles. After a few minutes, Danny got up and hit Kat with his pillow. "Wake up, Kat!"<p>

"Five more minutes Mum…" She muttered.

"I'm not your mum." He giggled.

She bolted up when she heard him. This was not her house, not her bed, and most definitely not her mother. She had been having the most wonderful dream ever. She dreamt about everything being normal again. She sighed and greeted Danny with a half-hearted "Morning".

After taking care of the morning actions such as brushing her teeth, washing her face, and changing her outfit, she trudged downstairs into the dining room. Nobody was there except for ginger-boy.

"Morning," she said, taking a seat at the table.

He nodded.

"Where is everyone?" Kat asked.

"Elise and Bird are at work. Annie is still sleeping. Where's Danny?" He asked.

"Dunno. He disappeared after waking me up." She yawned.

Andrew poured himself a mug of coffee. "Want some?" He asked Kat.

"Yeah, coffee sounds great right now," she answered.

After giving her a mug of coffee and sitting across from her, he decided to ask her something. "So what's your story?" He asked.

"Umm… it's complicated." She told him.

"Isn't it always?" He grinned.

"I guess so," she shrugged. "What's _your _story?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me yours," he said.

"You go first," she told him.

"But how do I know you will keep your end of the bargain?" He asked.

"You don't." She answered with a grin.

"Well, basically, I lived in an orphanage for the first fourteen years of my life. People started disappearing and stuff. Annabelle isn't my actual sister, but she might as well be. We escaped one day, about three months ago, and we've been on the run since. I tried to raid this house two weeks ago, but Bird caught me. I thought for sure we were dead meat. But I was wrong. They're really very nice people. They explained the whole Host & Soul thing to me. I've been with them since." He explained.

"Wow…" Kat said, not knowing what else to say.

"Your turn," he grinned.

Sigh.

"Fine. Me, Danny, and my sister ran away because we suspected stuff and my aunt was turned and… basically, we've been on the run for a while. Jodie, my sister, went to raid a house and never came back. She told us to wait one hour and if she hadn't made it back by then, she was probably… yeah." Kat finished.

"I'm sorry," he said with the most sincere eyes ever! Those damn honest emeralds!

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Old enough," he smirked.

"For?"

"Things."

They subconsciously drifted towards each other. They were now leaning over the table.

"Like?" She asked.

"This," He leaned in to kiss her.

Their kiss was indescribable. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Like a kid going to Disneyland for the very first time. Or a chocoholic diving into a pool of chocolate. Or like being named Prom Queen when you weren't even running. It was magical, with fireworks exploding everywhere. It was delicious, his soft lips against hers. It was unexpected as she kissed him back.

A wonderful little surprise.

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><p><strong>Reviews make me write faster!<strong>

**:Dee**


	5. So Obvious

**This is a weird one...**

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><p>Annabelle &amp; Daniel decided to walk in right at that moment. "Eeeeeww!" They chanted.<p>

Andrew and Katherine quickly pulled away, embarrassed to have been found that way. There was a bit of awkward silence before Kat decided to go to her room.

Later that day, Andrew went to Kat's room.

"Come in," she said, after he knocked.

"Hey Kat," he said and walked inside. The room was dark and the curtains were closed.

"Hi Andy," she teased.

"Don't call me Andy," he replied as he sat at the foot of her bed.

"Fine. Hi Andrew," she said.

"Don't call me that either," he told her.

"Then what do I call you? Drew?" She inquired.

"Drew's better." He answered.

A few moments of awkward silence went by.

"Why do you always make things awkward?" She joked.

"It's not me, it's you."

"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's you."

"No it's not," he said, starting to get irritated.

"Yes it is."

"No, it's not." He said curtly.

"Yes. It is."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not! Shut up!" he yelled.

"Don't tell me to shut up!" She screamed.

"I just did!"

"You shut up!"

"Your face can shut up!"

"Your mom can shut up!"

"Don't talk about my mother!"

"Aww, Mommy's wittle boy is wupset," she teased, laughing.

Drew was infuriated. He got up swiftly and made for the door, leaving behind a cackling Katherine.

Dinner was the most awkward event Drew and Kat had ever experienced. They sat facing each other at the long dinner table. There was a tense atmosphere as everyone ate quietly without conversing. Kat felt terrible for their little fight and wanted to make things right after dinner.

"Why so quiet, Darlings?" Elise asked, looking between Andrew and Katherine.

"Dunno," Drew mumbled.

His words hung in the air like a fog cloud. No one spoke again for the remainder of the meal.

A while after dinner was over, Katherine went to Andrew's room. After knocking several times and getting no response, Kat sighed and trudged to her room. It took her hours to fall asleep.

In her dreams, she saw Jodie. There was something different about her. Kat ran to Jodie, but no matter how much she ran, she could not get to her. Jodie seemed sad at this. Behind her, Kat saw her parents. Behind them, she could see her aunt and Jodie's boyfriend, who had always been like an older brother to Kat. They all had something in common- something different. It took her a while to place the difference. She continued running until all of them were wearing a frown. Then she saw it. A silver ring encircled everyone's eyes. She turned around and ran as fast as she could, but she could not move from her position. She spotted a mirror in the distance. It came closer and closer. It moved at a very high speed. When it was inches away, she saw herself. She looked exactly the same way as when she went to bed, except for her eyes. They had a silver ring around the pupil. She gasped as the mirror ran straight into her, shattering into a million pieces.

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><p>Jodie was preparing to raid a house. A man in his early fifties came out of the house Jodie was checking out. He climbed into a silver Camry and pulled out of the driveway. When he was out of sight, Jodie ran to the house. Going to the back door, Jodie carefully oiled the hinges. Then she opened the door with a credit card and gum. It slid open noiselessly. She went inside and straight to the kitchen. As she started to pack her bag with items from the pantry, she didn't notice the man standing in the hallway until he cleared his throat loudly.<p>

"Can I help you, Miss?" He asked with a smile.

Jodie froze. Then, she ran.

But the door was somehow locked from the inside. No matter how much Jodie pulled, the door would not budge.

"Miss, I won't hurt you. If you wanted food, all you had to do was ask." He spoke from behind her.

She turned around, her face only a few inches from the man's face, and put her hand on her belt where she had a knife. The man flipped the switch on and put his hands up, declaring peace. He gave a pointed look at the knife.

Jodie removed her hand from the knife and said, "Who are you?"

She felt instantly stupid. He was so very obviously a Seeker.

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><p><strong>hee(:<strong>

**review, please?**

**:Dee**


	6. Stupid Hot Guy & Silly Cute Girl

**A/N: Enjoy ! :D**

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><p><strong>~`'~ previously ~`'~<strong>

_Jodie removed her hand from the knife and said, "Who are you?"_

_She felt instantly stupid. He was so very obviously a Seeker._

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><p>"My human name is Brandon; my Soul name is Blizzard of Fire." He answered.<p>

"You're a seeker," Jodie stated.

" You're a human," he said.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Brandon said, "So…"

"You're not going to kill me? I mean, make me a host?" Jodie asked, perplexed.

"Do you want me to?" He asked just as confused as Jodie.

"No!" She yelled.

"No need to scream." He mumbled.

"Sorry." She muttered, not knowing what else to do. "I, um, guess you want this stuff back," she said, pulling forward her bag of stolen food.

"It's cool. You keep it." He smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, um… cool. Thanks." She replied, even more bewildered. Why was this Seeker helping her? And why was he so god dammed good looking?

He had messy, jet black hair, the most brilliant, blue eyes, and a breath-taking, white smile. He was tall- at least 6 feet. He was slim, but had well-built muscles. His white oxford shirt fit him snuggly, showing off his upper body. He had on black jeans that matched his hair and an equally dark leather jacket.

"Anyway, the door swings open when you push, not pull." He explained.

He reached around her waist to push the door open for her. She stood petrified and not breathing. When she finally came to her senses, she took in a whiff of a mixture between peppermint and freshly mowed grass. She stumbled outside in a daze.

"Are you okay?" He asked, following her outside.

"Yeah! I'm… I'm great. Thank you, for… everything," she told him.

"Are you sure you're fine?" He insisted.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?" she answered.

"Well, you're kind of stepping on my flowers…" He said.

"Huh?" She looked down, and sure enough, she had walked straight through a few rose bushes. Her legs were scratched up and she even had some blood dripping down her calf.

When she looked back up to apologize, he was gone. She stepped out of the bush and sat on the grass, trying not to somehow make the wound worse. How had she not seen it or felt it? The answer was clear. She had been too entranced with Brandon or Fire Whatever to pay attention to anything else.

"Stupid, hot guy…" she mumbled.

"Stupid Hot Guy is back to save Silly Cute Girl," he said, reappearing from behind her with a first aid kit and a smirk.

Jodie blushed like a tomato.

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><p><strong>AN: Short. sorry...<strong>

**:Dee**


	7. Hope

**Chapter 7. Enjoy :D**

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><p>"Ugh," Katherine grumbled as she packed her and her brother's few belongings. She was planning to run away this evening. Consumed in her thoughts, she did not notice when Drew walked into her room.<p>

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

She jumped and whipped around. After a few moments of awkward silence, she responded, "Okay."

"I think this is the part where you say 'I'm sorry too, Drew' and hug me," he smirked.

But Katherine and her terribly controlled anger shot back, "I don't have to apologize for anything."

Awkward silence invaded the room once again.

"I- fine." He replied, a twinge of bitterness in his tone.

This time the atmosphere was tense.

"So what are you doing?" He asked, nodding to the small pile of clothes on Kat's bed and the suitcase she had opened on the floor.

"Packing," she answered.

"For?"

"I'm running away tonight."

"What?"

"I. am. running. away. tonight." She repeated slowly, as if talking to a five year-old.

"But… why?" He inquired.

She gave him a look that said because-we're-currently-living-with-the-alien-race-that-destroyed-my-life!

"They won't hurt us, Kat."

"You don't know that," she laughed without humor.

"Yes I do!"

"No! You don't!"

"Yeah-"

"Shut up. Just shut up and get out!" She yelled.

"Ugh!" He muttered, stalking out of the room and slamming the door as Kat collapsed on the bed, trying to hold in the tears.

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><p>"So… Do you want to tell me the reason you're not kidnapping me and taking me to be Implanted?"<p>

"Because I know what it's like to be in your shoes," Brandon answered with a sincere smile.

"No you don't," Jodie quickly shot back.

"Yes, I do. I was on the run since I was thirteen. They caught me at twenty-three. That's ten years running and now three years as a resistant host." He said simply.

"Oh… So you're twenty-six?"

"Yes."

"Oh…" she mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

"You say that a lot. What are you thinking?" He asked, leaning a little closer.

"That you're too old for me," she blurted.

He laughed and she blushed.

"Well, how old are you? Eighteen?"

"Twenty-two," she muttered, blushing again.

"Wow. You look very young. Hmm, well, you know, it's only four years…" he mumbled, looking at his hands.

"Um, yeah… I guess so…" She said awkwardly.

"Sooooo…"

"Sooo… Umm… Who was the guy that left a while ago?"

"My father. Well, not my biological father. He's my assigned father."

"Assigned father?"

"Yeah, they couldn't find my real father so they gave me a new one. Not that I needed one, but he had nowhere else to go, so..." He shrugged.

"You're very kind," she said sincerely, referring to him helping the man _and_ her.

"Thank you," he replied.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Jodie said, "I… better get going…"

"Oh, right. Um, do you need a ride or something?" He offered.

"No, it's fine. I'm not even sure where I'm going."

After a puzzled expression from Brandon, she explained, "I lost my siblings. I need to find them, but I have no idea where to start looking. They could be anywhere."

"I'll help you find them," he said easily, rising from his chair.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to trouble you," she complained.

"I want to help."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because I do."

"There has to be a reason."

"I think you already know…"

"No… I don't."

"Because I…"

"Because you?"

"Because I like helping."

"That's not what you were going to say."

"I'll tell you after we find your siblings," he finished, touching her nose with the tip of his finger and walking over to the door.

He opened the door for her and waited for her to exit first. She finally gave up, stood, and walked out with a sigh. She wasn't going to find out why he was so nice to her anytime soon. But deep down, she already knew.

Or hoped.

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><p><strong>Reviews make chapters come faster !<strong>

**:Dee**


	8. Scream!

**this took a while to get up... sorry, i've been super busy and life is hectic. enjoy :)**

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><p>Kat walked around aimlessly around the large house, brushing the tips of her fingers along the walls. She had her things and Danny's packed and was know trying to kill time. She had to wait until dark when Elise and Bird were asleep so it left her with a few hours of nothing to do. She thought about apologizing to Drew, but she figured she didn't really have anything to apologize for. As she was about to enter the dining room, she noticed a small door she hadn't noticed before. It was right under the stairs and too small for an adult. She crouched a bit and turned the knob. Inside it was very dark and kind of damp. She looked around and saw it was just a storage room. There were mops and brooms and gloves and boxes titled "Christmas". Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard a voice. She could recognize it anywhere. It was Elise and her voice was coming from the "Christmas" box.<p>

She gingerly opened the box, but there was nothing inside except for decorative spheres and streamers and garland. She heard the voice again.

"Now _that's_ just stupid!" Elise shouted.

She tried to push the box away but discovered it was cemented to the floor. When she tried to lift it, she found a trap door underneath! The bottom of the box has glued to a small square of wood that led to a small stairway, barely big enough for one small person to go through. Bird's voice floated up the stairway.

"No it's not! Think about it- it's the perfect way to win their trust! While you take them to Disneyland and they enjoy a nice day in the most magical place on Earth with you, I'll stay to set the surprise party up. They'll warm up to you in no time! Plus the party is the perfect place to kidnap them! With all the loud music and the people and the drinking, there's no way anyone will notice when they're whisked away to be Implanted." He said cheerily.

Did Kat hear correctly? Trust? Kidnap?_ Implant? _She needed to find out more!

She started descending down the stairs, but then she heard their voices stop arguing followed by the shuffling of feet. She panicked and ran back upstairs, trying to be as quiet as possible, but still making noise. She pushed through the boxes to the door of the storage room, forgetting to close the doors in her haste. She ran back to her room, taking the stairs two at a time. When she finally reached it, she locked her door and put her back to it, trying to catch her breath. She slid down the door and pulled her knees to her chest. She had been right. They _were_ evil! All they wanted all along was to make them into hosts! Then she realized something.

Danny wasn't in their room. Which meant he was out there. With them!

She scrambled to her feet, undid the lock and tried to open the door, but it was jammed. She kicked and pushed and punched but it wouldn't budge. Somebody had locked the door from the other side!

Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, she heard something that made her blood go cold.

Danny's scream.

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><p><strong>sorry for the shortness of the chapter. next one will be great to make up for it! review! :D<strong>

**:Dee**

**p.s.- i now have a Host Roleplay forum! anyone is welcome to join! :D**


	9. Piecing The Puzzle Together

**So i should probably throw in a disclaimer...**

**I do not in any way own any characters you might recognize.**

**Enjoy! :D**

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><p>"I think I found something," Brandon said as he looked through files on a computer at the Law Enforcement Station. Jodie dropped the papers she was looking through. They were searching for records of Seekers in the neighborhood. Jodie went to his side as he clicked through folders, finally locating a document.<p>

_Name: Elise Richardson_

_Location: 452 N. Thorn Street, East Los Angeles, CA. 6977_

_Phone Number: (562) 882- 4396_

_Calling: Seeker_

Jodie gasped. "Thorn Street is only a couple miles west. Do you think they're there?"

"Only one way to find out," he said, still looking at the document. "Look," he pointed.

_Host ID #: 2176489_

_Soul ID #: 4528016_

_Humans Caught: 286_

"Come on!" She grabbed her jacket and started towards the exit.

"Wait. There's more!" Brandon stopped her.

She went back to his side. "What?"

"She lives with someone named Bird Songs of the Night," he said.

"So?" She asked.

"He's a healer," he muttered.

"And this is relevant because…" She trailed off impatiently. They were wasting precious moments! And in her experience, two seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

"Healers perform Insertions." He stated, waiting for her to put two and two together.

It all clicked. If Elise was a Seeker who lived with a Healer and she had her siblings…

"We have to hurry!" She ran, not waiting for Brandon. She had to save them. Now!

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><p><strong>Still pretty short. Sorry! But I wrote it in like a day! Reviews make chapters come faster!<strong>

**:Dee**


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